Democratic Erosion University Course Student Blog

Students enrolled in our course are encouraged to write for the course blog, and to read and comment on posts from students at other participating universities. The blog offers students the opportunity to analyze current events through the lens of the theory and case studies they engage with through the course.

These blogs reflect the views of the student authors, and not those of the Democratic Erosion Consortium.

ANO 2011, Andrej Babiš, and Implications of the Fall 2025 Election on Czech Democracy

On October 3 and 4, 2025, the Czech Republic held its quadrennial Chamber of Deputies (Lower house of Parliament) election, which resulted in a decisive victory for ANO 2011, a right-wing populist party run by billionaire and ex-Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. While the...

Legal but Corrosive: Trump’s Plan to Withdraw the U.S. From Several International Organizations

At the start of this calendar year, rumors started circulating in the White House that President Trump aims to withdraw the U.S. from 66 International Organizations. Many of these organizations protect and uphold humanitarian rights, and address ongoing climate...

The Illusion of Elections: How Authoritarian Power Undermines Democratic Legitimacy in Myanmar

This blog examines how elections in Myanmar, stripped of genuine competition, political freedoms, and popular consent, have failed to protect democracy and instead become instruments of authoritarian rule.

Namibia’s Troubling Drift Toward Democratic Erosion

Dec 16, 2025 | Georgia State University Perimeter College

Namibia’s 2024 general election marks a significant moment of democratic backsliding, not through overt electoral manipulation, but through systemic administrative failures...

Will Protests in Morocco Lead to Meaningful Change?

Dec 16, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

Moroccan youth have taken to the streets in protests demanding lower healthcare costs, the right to protest, and other reforms including decreased sports expenditures. The...

Shameless Politics: How Scandal Lost Its Power in America

Dec 1, 2025 | Northeastern University

In September of 2024, FBI agents acting as businessmen met with the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tom Homan under the guise of helping to secure government contracts if Trump...

Recent Anti-Fico Protests Might Indicate a Positive Future for Slovakia’s Democracy

Dec 1, 2025 | University of Georgia

On November 17th, 2025, Slovakian citizens in Bratislava protested and slammed their leaders, specifically Prime Minister, Robert Fico, with chants such as: “We have enough of Fico”, “Resign”, and...

Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court Upholds Bolsonaro’s Conviction — Hope For Democratic Resilience Remains

Nov 30, 2025 | Northeastern University

“In Brazil, impunity for those who attack democracy has always been the rule. This trial breaks that cycle” — Oscar Vilhena Vieira (2025).” Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) has recently upheld...

When Violence Becomes “Politics as Usual”: How Normalization Threatens American Democracy

Nov 28, 2025 | Northeastern University

In the United States today, political violence is no longer an unimaginable notion, it is becoming a background condition of democratic life. Threats against election workers, armed intimidation at...

Presidential Crisis in Guatemala: The Challenges and Resilience of Democracy

Nov 24, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

Guatemala’s 2023 Presidential election sparked a democratic crisis in the country, as anti-corruption reformer Bernardo Arévalo’s rise to power and election brought political blowback from the...

El Salvador: Nayib Bukele’s Stealth Authoritarian Tactics

Nov 24, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

El Salvador has been known, historically, for its high murder rate and deep-seated gang violence. However, over the past six years the country's gang violence has decreased by 70%. But at what cost?...

El Salvador Chose Bukele, Not Democracy

Nov 21, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

On July 31, 2025, the El Salvadoran congress passed significant changes to the El Salvadoran constitution. By a vote of 57 to 3, they passed notable changes including the removal of presidential...

Civil Society vs. Populism: Israel’s Fight Over Democracy

Nov 20, 2025 | University of Pittsburgh

“Democracy can collapse in silence, but in Israel it spilled into the streets.” On July 24, 2023, the Knesset passed what became known as the “reasonableness law,” eliminating the Supreme Court’s...

Can Poland Rebuild Its Democratic Institutions Without Breaking Them Further?

Nov 20, 2025 | University of Georgia

Poland’s 2023 election was noted as a critical turning point. After eight years, the Law and Justice Party (PiS), a coalition led by Donald Tusk gained enough seats to attempt a democratic course...